Serious Drama as Residents Protest Eight-Month Power Outage In Ondo

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According to a report by The Nation, commercial activities were Monday paralysed for several hours in Kajola High School and Araromi Communities of Akure South Local government area of Ondo State, as residents protested the non-availability of electricity in the past eight months.Artisans and Youths in their large numbers trooped to the streets and blocked all major roads in the area. Many motorists and commuters were stranded.

 

The Protest, which lasted for several hours forced shops and business owners to hurriedly closed for business.

 

Residents accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of insensitivity to their complaints.

 

Men of the Ondo State Police Command were however in place to avoid breakdown of law and order.

 

Speaking on behalf of the landlord Association, Otaru Eshimakhe said the community had made several efforts to the BEDC over the issue, but no action

 

He said the power outage in the community had affected the economic and commercial activities in the area, saying many businesses had collapsed.

 

His words ”We have been in total darkness for over eight months now and BEDC has not been responding to our plights.

“Majority of our artisans have closed down, why others are leaving the community as a result of the prolonged power outage. We are pleading with the BEDC to have mercy on us and restore our light”.

 

The Business Manager, Igbara-Oke Unit, Mrs. Iyabo Adefemi said the company was aware of the problem, stressing that the company was doing everything possible to restore light to the community.

 

She noted that the transformer supplying electricity to the areas had been damaged, advising the residents to pay their bills for them to have a new transformer.

 

“We are aware of the protest by the people and we have advised them in our meetings to pay their debts. They are owing us over N29million, but through several reconciliation of accounts, the bill had been reduced to N11million.

“If they pay, we will work on the faulty transformer for them to have light. We can’t use payments from other communities to repair their damaged transformer.”